Experimental Grace
by Debba and Sue
Summary: Grace and Ryder weren't supposed to fall in love
1. Who knew?

Title: Experimental Grace  
Authors: Debba and Sue  
Category: Other – Grace/Ryder  
Rating: R  
E-mail: debba78@hotmail.com and ruststar@aol.com  
Disclaimer: We own nothing  
Summary: Get to know Grace and Ryder  
Authors' Note: Thanks to everyone who previewed and gave us feedback!   
  
  
Grace slipped quietly up the main staircase of the boy's dorm at Rawley Academy. It was   
late and if she got caught there would be hell to pay. She was a little early for the weekly   
poker game she played with some of the guys, but they wouldn't care. She was the life of   
the party – always ready with a snappy comeback, a good card player, and able to chug a   
beer with the best of them. She sighed at her list of accomplishments.  
  
She checked her watch when she reached the third floor. There were still ten minutes   
before she had to be there. She tiptoed down the hall to the guest bathroom, figuring   
she'd use the time to freshen up before the game.  
  
Once safely in the restroom with the door locked behind her, she relaxed a little. She   
dampened a paper towel and patted down her face and neck, which were flushed from her   
walk from town to school in the warm night air. As she adjusted her navy blue baby t-  
shirt and fixed her hair, she caught sight of her reflection in the mirror and paused to   
study the girl who stared back at her.  
  
Grace Banks was pretty. She wasn't the fresh-scrubbed, peaches and cream beauty her   
sister Bella was; but even at just shy of 16 years old, she had an earthy, exotic quality to   
her. With her long, thick auburn hair and gray eyes she caught plenty of stares from the   
boys. But a closer look at Grace revealed unhappiness deep under the outgoing, fun-  
loving exterior she presented to the world.  
  
She sighed at the face staring back at her. The weekly poker games she had been playing   
with the guys at Rawley Academy for the last year had become a habit, something she   
did because it was expected of the "wild" Banks sister, and although she'd never admit it,   
she was getting tired of them. She felt…restless? She couldn't put a definite name to the   
feeling; she only knew that something in her life needed to change. Being the wild,   
irresponsible, immature Grace Banks was starting to take its toll. Glancing at her watch,   
she realized she had to get to the game.  
  
"Time to turn on the sparkle, Gracie," she muttered, gathering her energy for the night   
ahead.  
  
She could hear the guys talking as she walked down the hall.  
  
"Dude, I'm telling you – tonight!" That was Ryan. He was a senior, gorgeous, and a   
complete egomaniac.  
  
"Nope, not gonna happen," replied Josh. "You've been charming that girl for a year and   
you haven't gotten anywhere."  
  
Grace froze just outside the door. Were they talking about her?  
  
"I'll bet you," Ryan challenged.  
  
"How much?"   
  
"$200."  
  
"Fine," Josh accepted the bet as Grace stood, riveted, listening. "$200 to you if you get   
Grace Banks in bed with you tonight."  
  
Ryan grinned triumphantly. "You just lost $200, Josh. Grace Banks is nothing but a   
jumped-up townie slut. She'd be in bed with any of the guys here in a second if we just   
asked."  
  
Grace's jaw dropped as Ryan's words sunk in. Her whole body went numb from shock   
and she backed slowly from the door to the stairs, careful to stay quiet. She didn't want   
them to know she'd overheard their disgusting conversation. "You just lost $200, Ryan,"   
she thought as she turned and fled down the stairs, out the door, and into the night.  
  
******  
  
A red corvette sped down the unlit two-lane road with no real concern for the posted   
speed limit or the painted boundary lines. The driver tossed a lit cigarette out the window   
and delighted in watching the way the orange embers bounced off the concrete in his   
mirrors. He quickly lit another cigarette and cursed the weakness of the American   
tobacco that forced him to smoke twice as much for the desired affect. Ryder looked at   
himself in the rearview mirror as he inhaled on his cigarette – he liked the way he looked   
when he smoked, which was pretty much the only reason anybody ever started smoking,   
in his opinion.   
  
There was nobody on the isolated back roads he was cruising, so he wasn't too concerned   
if his wheels drifted a bit here and there. He reached out to the CD changer to find a song   
to suit his mood. He settled on #1 Crush by Garbage – not because of the words, but for   
the mood of the music, dark and rhythmic. As he drove he drummed his fingers on the   
steering wheel in time with music, losing himself in his thoughts for a while.   
  
The midnight drive was becoming a ritual for him this year. Since he had returned to   
Rawley Academy for his final year he felt …off-kilter, like the pieces of his life weren't   
fitting together anymore. The boys he ran with bored him – but it was a little late in the   
game to look for a new crowd, and he'd alienated almost everyone outside of his narrow   
circle. They all looked up to him as a leader, of sorts, but he just wasn't interested in   
leading anymore.  
  
Even torturing the younger boys held little appeal – not even taunting Hamilton and his   
boy toy Jake brought him any joy. In fact, he was a little jealous - disgusting as they   
were, it was obvious that their relationship was real, and he couldn't name even one   
person he had that kind of friendship with. Even his relationship with his mother was   
hardly what you'd call warm these days. He couldn't stand the person she'd become   
since she married the American wanker who sent him away to Rawley. When he saw her   
over the break she didn't even attempt to stop the bastard from laying into him every day   
that he was home. And she wondered why he never wanted to visit.  
  
He sighed and glanced at the clock on the dashboard. Groaning, he realized that it was   
almost time for the weekly poker game with the boys. He slowed down and turned the car   
around to head back to school. The one thing that still kept his interest these days was   
poker – he'd never tire of taking their money.  
  
*******  
  
Grace speed-walked down the long driveway of Rawley Academy, brushing solitary tears   
from her cheeks as they fell. She was still numb from what she'd overheard, her body   
moving on auto-pilot with only one thought – to get away, to get someplace safe so she   
could lose it.  
  
"Don't think about it, Grace. Not yet. Keep it together 'till you're off campus," she   
thought, willing the burning pain and anger away, choking back sobs of rage and anguish.  
She lasted until she was a mile from campus, walking swiftly in the dark towards town.   
Ryan's words finally caught up with her, echoing in her head.  
  
"Townie slut…in bed in a second…$200…" The thoughts whirled in her brain, taunting   
her until she couldn't take it anymore.  
  
"AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!" she screamed. "I am NOT!" She kicked the tree next to   
her in fury; pounding its trunk the way she had wanted to hit Ryan and Josh. "You   
ASSHOLE! I am not I am not I am not! You don't even know me!" Kick. "God, I can't   
believe I was so stupid!" Kick. She continued her assault on the tree, venting all her   
frustration, anger, and pain on its unsuspecting bark. "How could they think that? How   
DARE they think that? Dickheads." Kick. "Assholes." Kick. "Fucking pieces of –   
aaahhhh!" Kick. Kick. "There aren't words bad enough to describe them!" Tears of rage   
started to pour down her cheeks as she tortured the tree. Now that the fury was subsiding,   
only pain was left. She gave the tree one last hard kick and crumpled to the ground,   
sobbing. "No, I'm not, Ryan," she whispered. "I am NOT a slut. But you never bothered   
to look under the surface, did you? No one does," she said sadly, to herself.  
  
The sound of an approaching car brought Grace out of her dismal thoughts, especially   
when the car slowed and stopped next to her. She sighed, recognizing the corvette and its   
driver. Ryder. Normally she'd be pleased to see him. His sarcastic nature blended well   
with her own and they usually had a pretty good time tearing people down. Now, though,   
she was wary. As the leader of the gang of poker-playing Rawley boys, he should have   
been at the game, and she wondered briefly at his presence there on the side of the   
road. Was he here to torment her? Did he know about the bet?  
  
She looked away, quickly wiping her cheeks dry. She'd seen him cut people to ribbons   
with just a few words – she'd even helped him do it on occasion – and she knew about   
his uncanny ability to sense someone's vulnerability. Not wanting to be on the receiving   
end of his wit, she swallowed her sobs and prayed that the darkness would cover the   
tearstains. She couldn't handle being one of his victims at the moment.  
  
"Grace? Was that you beating the hell out of that poor defenseless tree?" he asked,   
already knowing the answer.  
  
She closed her eyes. Damn. He'd seen that fit of temper. This was not good for her.   
Praying he'd do as she asked, she said in a low voice, "Go away, Ryder."  
  
He cocked his head at her tone, his curiosity aroused. This was not the fiery, vivacious   
Grace Banks he'd come to know over the past year. Normally she'd greet him with a   
bounce in her step and a glittering smile. Not tonight, though. All her spark seemed to be   
gone.   
  
His first instinct was to move in for the kill, but something stopped him, as her   
bedraggled appearance registered in his mind. Her hair was in disarray, her shoes were   
covered in mud and she was sitting with her knees pulled to her chest. It was all very   
uncharacteristic for her. His eyes narrowed as he studied her defensive posture – were   
those tearstains? He was hit with a small pang of alarm as he realized that she had indeed   
been crying. Grace Banks was crying? Now he knew something was seriously wrong.   
Grace never cried. She was as tough as he was.  
  
He approached her slowly, not quite sure how to deal with this. "What's the matter,   
Grace?"  
  
She pulled back warily, clearly not trusting him. "Nothing's the matter. I just want to be   
alone."  
  
"You want to be alone? The girl who lives for attention? Now I know something's   
wrong," Ryder said. He dropped to the ground beside her, instinctively keeping some   
distance between them. Grace was being very protective of herself and he respected her   
need for space. He also knew she'd never tell him anything if he was looming over her   
like some threatening beast.   
  
"Tell me?" he asked.  
  
She was surprised. He wasn't being a smartass or a jerk; he seemed genuinely concerned   
about her. Still…this was Ryder. The guy had a history of tormenting anyone weaker   
than him, and she'd be damned if she was his next victim. Besides, she still wasn't sure   
what, if anything, he knew about the bet. Defenses firmly in place, she took a deep   
breath, praying that her voice wouldn't crack or shake and betray her. Refusing to look at   
him, she said, "I said, I want to be alone. And even if I was going to tell someone what   
was wrong, it wouldn't be you. You're their ringleader – you probably already knew   
what they were planning for tonight."  
  
"I've actually got better things to do than get involved in their little evil plots – they're so   
uninspired its not worth my time," he said.   
  
She looked up at him and studied him, trying to decide if he was telling the truth or not.   
For once he seemed guileless, and that alone was a surprise. The bigger surprise was that   
he was holding his hand out to pull her up.  
  
"Come on, I'll drive you home," he said, almost kindly. She took his hand and let him   
pull her up from the ground, still in shock – courtesy was about the last thing she   
expected from Ryder.   
******   
  
As he drove the short distance towards her father's gas station he kept glancing in her   
direction – she was staring out the window, idly tracing lines in the fogged up glass. He'd   
never seen her so subdued and he wasn't sure what to say to her. Comforting people in   
pain was a skill he hadn't used since he was a kid, and he had long ago decided that   
playing that role was usually a lose-lose situation. But, for some reason, he wanted to   
help her, and he wasn't really sure why.  
  
The next time he glanced over at her she was staring at him with a puzzled look on her   
face.   
  
"Why are you being so nice to me? Its not normal."   
  
Her question surprised him – and put him on the defensive.  
  
"Contrary to popular belief, I'm not as evil as you think. I don't enjoy making women   
cry," he said, gesturing to her tear-stained face, "Unless they've earned it, which you   
haven't – that I know of." He threw her a salacious grin as he turned the corner to go   
down the main street of town.   
  
He pulled into the gas station, turned off the engine and turned to look at her like a cat   
about to pounce.   
  
"So, are you going to tell me what happened or do I have to get it out of the boys at the   
dorms?"   
  
She rolled her eyes in disgust. Of course he'd get it out of them, she should have known   
she wouldn't get out of telling him. She sighed and told him what she'd overheard back   
at the dorms, refusing to look at him as she recounted her story.   
  
"Only $200? No wonder you're so pissed…" he looked up in surprise when she   
wrenched open the car door and started to get out, hardly able to control her anger.   
  
He got out of the car and rushed to stop her before she could reach the back door to the   
station. When he grabbed her wrist she whirled around and glared at him.  
  
"I should have known better than to tell you," she spat out viciously. "You're an even   
bigger ass than they are – they're just stupid lemmings, you're the ringleader. They take   
all their cues from you." She used her other hand to remove his hand from her wrist and   
turned to enter the building.  
  
"Grace, wait," he said, a little stung by what she said. "That didn't come out the way I   
meant it to. I only meant that if they were going to bet over you the stakes should have   
been much higher."  
  
"It could have been a million dollars and it still wouldn't change the fact that they think   
I'm a slut who'll sleep with anybody," she said, mollified, but still petulant.  
  
"They're like that about every girl – not just you. It's actually dead funny to watch –   
they've been circling around you like wolves, but you've acted like they hardly matter,   
which just drives them crazy."  
  
"You keep saying them – am I supposed to believe you weren't egging them on?" she   
asked.  
  
"Actually, love, I've been rooting for you – its been much more fun to watch them crash   
and burn," he said with a wicked grin.   
  
She pursed her lips as she searched his face for any sign he was just toying with her. Her   
anger drained out of her when she found none, and she smiled in return.   
  
"You're rooting for me? Really?" she asked, incredulous that a Rawley boy would pick a   
townie over one of his own. It made her feel better, although the thought of the bet still   
stung. "God, I just wish there was something I could do...some way to show them that I'm   
not what they think."   
  
Ryder cocked his head and a slight twinkle came to his eye. Grace had just given him an   
idea. "Look, Gracie, you go and clean the raccoon smudges off your eyes and get some   
much-needed beauty rest."   
  
She shot him a disgusted look, but she knew that of all the barbs he could have thrown   
that was probably the least painful.   
  
"I've got to run – it sounds like the boys have some extra cash on their hands tonight, so I   
should be present to relieve them of the heavy load." Smirking, he tipped an imaginary   
hat in a gentlemanly salute to her, and walked around to the driver's side of his car.   
  
She waved goodbye as he pulled way and slipped inside the garage. The emotional roller   
coaster she'd been riding exhausted her, but she found that she was feeling much better   
now. What a surprise that Ryder had been the one to ease her pain. She shook her head to   
clear her thoughts – she was too tired to wonder about his uncharacteristic behavior. It   
would have to wait until tomorrow.  
  
  
Part 2  
  
  
"Grace – where the hell are you?" her sister Bella hollered. She clomped up the stairs and   
appeared in the doorway of Graces bedroom to glare at her.  
  
"What? Its not my turn today – you know that. I already checked the schedule dad made."   
Her sister was always acting like she skipped out on her duty at the gas station. Maybe   
when she was younger she was a lot less reliable, but she had gotten much better about   
being on time for her shifts at the station and she resented Bella's tone.   
  
"I know that," Bella snapped, "But dad forgot that I have a meeting to go to at school at   
4:30, so you have to fill in."   
  
Grace closed her English book and got up off the bed with a sigh of resignation. She   
slipped on some shoes, ran a brush through her hair, and put on some lip-gloss. Satisfied   
with her appearance and the sounds of annoyance coming from Bella, she smiled sweetly   
at her sister before brushing past her to take her post.   
  
Halfway down the stairs she stopped and turned around. "You could have asked me, you   
know. I can't read your mind, Bella, so next time fill me in," she said calmly and headed   
downstairs, leaving her sister to fume. God, she pissed her off sometimes, but she'd   
learned that not reacting to her was the most effective retaliation she could use.  
  
She grabbed a magazine from the rack in the office and dragged a stool outside. Although   
it was late October the weather was unseasonably warm, and she wanted to enjoy the   
warmth while she could. She sat down, propped one leg up against the pump and used it   
hold the magazine up while she read. Halfway through an article on choosing the right   
college she heard a car pull up next to her.  
  
Ryder rolled down the window of the corvette and leaned out. "Gracie, just the girl I was   
looking for," he said, removing his sunglasses and grinning at her.  
  
She approached the corvette warily, still not completely sure how to take Ryder. He had   
been so nice the other night (well, nice for Ryder anyway) and she was waiting for the   
other shoe to drop, so to speak.   
  
"What can I do for you, Ryder?" she asked, giving him a small smile.  
  
"Well first you can act like you might be happy to see me – especially after you see what   
I've got for you," he said with a smirk. He handed her a long, white envelope.  
  
She looked at him in confusion, and then looked down as she tore open the envelope.   
Inside were five $20 bills.   
  
"What's this for?" she asked, sincerely confused now.  
  
"Don't worry love, it's not a proposition… it's your half of the money from the bet. I had   
such fun taking their money the other night; I thought you deserved your half. You gave   
me the inside information I needed to keep them off-balance throughout the game – the   
poor lad was feeling completely demoralized by the end of the night. Not to mention flat   
broke."   
  
"Wow," she said, shaking her head in disbelief. "What did you say to them? You didn't   
tell them I knew about the bet, did you?" she asked worriedly. The last thing in the world   
she wanted was for Ryan and his friends to know how they'd hurt her.  
  
"Of course not, what do you think I am?" he asked, pretending to be offended. "Its not   
important what I said, just know that he won't be thinking real highly of his talent with   
the ladies for a while."  
  
She pictured the look on Ryan's face for a moment and grinned in satisfaction. "God, I   
almost wish I could have seen that!"  
  
"Show up for this week's game – our combined wit and poker skill could prove very   
profitable. Besides, it would seem odd if you stopped showing up. They expect to see you   
every week, so you really shouldn't disappoint your public, Grace."  
  
"I don't know – its gonna turn cold pretty soon, and that's not a fun walk in cold   
weather…" she trailed off, coyly seeing just how far he was willing to go to get her to   
show up.   
  
"I'll pick you up."   
  
  
  
  
  
  
Part 3  
  
"I fold," Grace said in disgust. She hadn't had more than three decent hands all night, and   
never enough to win. It was a miracle she'd lasted as long as she had. "And, I'm out of   
money. So, unless one of you fine gentlemen wants to loan me some cash," she smiled   
flirtatiously, the Grace Banks charm in full effect, "I'm, sadly, out for the rest of the   
evening."  
  
When none of the other three boys at the table offered to cover her, she rolled her eyes   
and pretended to pout. "Well, since I'm now broke, there's no point in me staying, is   
there? Unless someone wants me around as a good luck charm?"  
  
"As tempting as that is, Gracie," Ryan said, leering at Grace, "I have to try and win some   
of this back from Ryder…you have been on a hot streak, man!"  
  
Ryder tried not to throw something at Ryan's head. The thought of that cretin touching   
Grace made him want to commit some kind of violent act. "Just lucky tonight, I guess,"   
he said nonchalantly, trying not to let his disgust for Ryan show on his face. Ever since   
the night the other two boys had bet about getting Grace into bed, he had been trying to   
avoid them. He never missed the poker game, though. He loved to take their money, and   
since they had never learned to watch the cards, he usually won.  
  
Grace pretended to pout when Ryan turned her down, but she was secretly relieved.   
"Your loss, Ryan. I'm outta here, then…see you boys next week!"   
She slipped on her jacket and walked to the door. With a flirtatious wave, she said, "Bye,   
boys!" and walked out the door, noticing Ryder's imperceptible nod when she looked in   
his direction.  
  
Ryder saw the look she shot him and knew she'd be waiting in his room for him to take   
her home after the game. For a month now, he'd been picking her up and driving her   
back to the gas station. It was odd; when he'd made the offer to drive her, he hadn't   
anticipated that he'd have so much fun talking to her on the trips. She had somehow   
become more human to him. Before, she was a stereotypical townie girl –wild, witty, and   
fun to be around, but he'd been pleasantly surprised when he'd begun to find the girl   
under the mask.   
  
She was a lot like him.  
  
*******  
  
Grace quietly unlocked Ryder's door and crept inside. She was exhausted.   
Ryan had been unusually flirtatious tonight. He must have recovered his confidence from   
the night of the bet. She still didn't know exactly what   
Ryder had told him, but ever since, he'd been a little wary around her. She was grateful –   
since Ryan had backed off, she hadn't needed to be as defensive around him.  
  
Ryder had helped her a lot too. For the last month he'd driven her back and forth between   
the gas station and the games. He made her laugh, helped her relax beforehand, which   
made it easier to keep up the act and not vomit on Ryan's shoes. During the game, he was   
quietly protective of her. Whenever one of the others tried to move in too close, he was   
there with a derisive comment or a hand that usually wiped them out of their money. On   
the way back, he let her vent about how stupid Ryan and Josh were, how much she hated   
them, and how she couldn't wait to get out of New Rawley. He was a surprisingly   
sympathetic listener. She suspected that he had secrets of his own – that his perfect life at   
the perfect school with the perfect friends and the perfect car wasn't nearly as great as he   
pretended.  
  
She sighed, looking at her watch. The game was running long. One of the others must   
have had a winning streak. She sat on the edge of his bed, yawning, fighting to keep her   
eyes open. She contemplated stretching out and dozing off, trying not to. She didn't want   
him to get the wrong impression of her. Still, she was exhausted…surely Ryder wouldn't   
mind if she took a quick nap while he finished the game. He knew her well enough that   
he wouldn't think she was offering something she wasn't. He'd simply wake her up and   
drive her home when the game was over, she decided. She lay back and curled up,   
pulling the covers over her and falling asleep almost instantly.   
  
Her last conscious thought was that the pillow smelled like Ryder.  
  
*******  
  
Ryder yawned as he walked down to his room. It was 2 AM. The game had gone on   
much longer than usual, and Grace was probably furious for having to wait so long. He   
unlocked the door and went inside, whispering, "Grace?" as he entered. Then he saw her.   
She was fast asleep on his bed, curled up on her side, her long hair spread out on the   
pillow. He smiled when he saw her. Who would have believed that Grace Banks could   
look so innocent, so vulnerable?  
  
He hated to wake her. Actually, she was so deeply asleep, he wasn't sure he'd be able to   
wake her. He didn't really want to drive into town this late, either. He was so tired he just   
wanted to crash. He decided she could stay just this once.  
  
He moved quietly around the room, changing into a pair of sweatpants and a   
T-shirt, knowing she wouldn't appreciate it if she woke up and found him next to her   
wearing only his boxers. As he sat down next to her, he noticed she was still wearing her   
shoes. Chuckling softly to himself, he whispered,   
"You know, you could have taken these off, Gracie," as he unlaced her sneakers and slid   
them gingerly off her feet. She never stirred. He lay down, moving her hair off the spare   
pillow so that he could use it, noticing the light scent of her shampoo as he fell asleep.  
  
The feeling of soft feathers drawing across his face woke him up with a start. As he   
opened his eyes he realized that it was actually Grace's hair tickling his nose as he   
breathed in and out because his face was pressed into the curve of her neck.   
  
At some point during the night he had moved closer to her – extremely close. They both   
lay on their sides and his body fit behind hers in a perfect example of two spoons in a   
drawer. His left arm held her securely to him as if he were afraid she'd fall off the edge of   
the narrow twin bed.   
  
As reality soaked into is sleep-fogged brain he noticed how good it felt to hold her – how   
natural - yet he this was a completely new experience for him. He had never actually   
slept with a girl before – he was the sort that snuck out the backdoor before there could   
be any embarrassing emotional scenes where he had to pretend to care about whichever   
random girl he was seeing that week. Nuzzling the back of her neck slightly he began to   
rethink the wisdom of that policy – her warmth and the scent of her hair were just the   
intoxicants he needed to drift back to sleep.   
  
Grace awoke in her customary manner – like molasses pouring out of a cold jar. She   
stretched like a cat and grabbed Ryder's hand in hers to pull his arm tighter around her.   
She smiled in her sleep, enjoying the comforting feeling of being wrapped in someone's   
arms. Warm breath on the back of her neck and a low chuckle dragged her out of her   
sleep-state. Rapid awareness made her eyes grow big and she rolled over onto her left   
side, coming nose to nose with Ryder.  
  
"Good morning love, do you always take this long to wake?" he asked, his eyes dancing   
with amusement.   
  
She nearly fell off the bed in shock. What the hell was going on? Why was it so bright?   
And why in the hell was Ryder looking so damn smug?   
  
He reached an arm out to keep her from falling and he kept his hand on her waist to   
stabilize her. She looked down at his hand, closed her eyes, and silently counted to 10,   
trying to calm the red swirl of emotions ripping through her.  
  
It didn't work. Snapping her eyes open she shoved him away from her roughly. Now that   
she was fully awake she was able to quickly roll off the bed to stand and glare at Ryder.   
  
"Ryder? What the hell is going on? What am I doing here?"  
  
"Easy there, Gracie, don't bite my head off. You fell asleep last night before I could take   
you home. I couldn't get you to wake up, so I just let you stay," Ryder said calmly,   
chuckling a little over her distress.  
  
"You let me stay," she said matter-of-factly. Then Grace exploded, barely remembering   
to keep her voice down. "You let me * stay*??? What the hell were you thinking?" she   
bit out. "Do you have any idea how this will look?"   
Her voice was shaking with the effort to stay calm. "Dammit, Ryder!"  
  
Ryder was starting to understand why she was so upset. He tried to calm her.   
"Grace, no one will know. The guys think you went straight home after you left the game   
– they have no idea you fell asleep here. Just relax, okay?"  
  
"Relax? What happens when I walk out of here? Then what, genius? Or were you   
planning on having me shimmy down the drainpipe so that nobody sees me leaving?" Her   
voice dripped with sarcasm. "God, they're gonna see me, in the same clothes I was   
wearing last night. And they're gonna think…oh   
God…they're gonna think that you…and I…" her voice trailed off in horror.   
"Damn you! You, of all people Ryder; you know how hard I've tried to get rid of that   
townie slut image." Grace ranted at him, her feelings wounded by what she thought was   
his betrayal. "I should have known better than to let myself trust you. You really are an   
ass, Ryder. You made me think that you'd help me, you drove me back and forth, you let   
me bitch about the guys, and now, after all that, when I finally trusted you a little…" She   
broke off suddenly. She hadn't meant to tell him that.  
  
He listened to her, amazed. He hadn't heard Grace rant this much in a while.   
Her cheeks were flushed; her eyes were crackling with fire, and her hair snapped around   
her face while she paced. He'd never noticed how pretty she was. Then her words sunk   
in.  
  
"You trust me?" he asked, amazed. A warm glow started in the pit of his stomach, only to   
be brutally put out when she whirled around and glared at him.  
  
"Trusted. Past tense. The second you got the chance you screwed me over.   
You let me stay here, knowing damn well how it would look if I got caught.   
I'm gonna look like an even bigger slut now, Ryder, and it's all your fault," she snapped.  
  
He was stung by her accusations. It was an unusual sensation for him, and one he didn't   
like. Without bothering to analyze why he cared what Grace thought of him, he began to   
explain himself. Unfortunately for Ryder, his defensive instincts kicked in and his mouth   
took over. For some reason, he wanted to hurt her for the way she was hurting him.  
  
"Gracie, they'll never think that," he said dryly. "They know I'd never sleep with a   
townie girl in a million years. I have better taste than that," he smirked at her.  
  
She gasped in outrage, her face paling. For a moment words failed her as his barb struck   
home. Then her eyes narrowed, and she said in an icy voice,   
"Shut up. Just shut up, okay? I don't want to hear your voice. I don't want to talk to you.   
I don't want to see you, not even if you get every guy at Rawley to fill up his tank at the   
gas station. I want you," she was struggling to control her voice, which was shaking with   
rage and hurt, "to just leave me the hell alone. Do you understand?"  
  
He tried to answer, but she cut him off again. "Don't say a word, just nod if you   
understand."  
  
He nodded, his own eyes flashing angrily at her. If Grace wanted the silent treatment, it   
was the silent treatment she'd get. He was a master at it.  
  
"Good. Goodbye, Ryder. I hope the lies you're going to tell about me are worth it.   
Asshole. Oh, and wipe that stupid smirk off your face. It makes you look like Ryan."   
With that, Grace opened the door and darted down the hall, thankful that most of the guys   
seemed to either be outside or still asleep. She slipped out a side door and headed for the   
woods and the shortcut back to town, hoping she'd get back before her sister or father   
noticed her missing.  
  
When the door shut behind her, Ryder flopped back on his bed. He was completely   
dumbfounded. "How did I let that go so far?" he muttered to himself. He shouldn't have   
been so sarcastic, but damn! When people were insulting him, his snarky comments were   
instinctive. He sighed. He couldn't believe that she thought he would…betray her like   
that. Didn't she know how much he enjoyed her company? He groaned. He never thought   
his history as the resident Rawley asshole would come back to haunt him like this. Now   
he had to see how he could make it right with Grace. He'd fix it at the game next week.  
  
  
  
Part 5  
  
  
When Grace didn't show up for the next week's game he knew he'd really screwed up.   
The hollow feeling her absence inspired surprised him. During the short time he'd been   
driving her back and forth he'd gotten to like the girl, and her presence had made the   
weekly games much more tolerable. The lads had grown insufferable, and his irritability   
with them was starting to get noticed.  
  
The past week was worse. Ever since the morning she stormed out of his room he'd been   
feeling…odd. First there was the guilt - he really did feel bad about what he said to her,   
and for not considering how it would look for her if someone saw her sneaking out of his   
room in the morning. For god's sake, he knew what * he * would have said if it had been   
someone else's room…. Something just as crappy as the barb that slipped out last night,   
the one he wished he could take back.  
  
Second was the dreams. When he woke up next to her that morning he'd noticed things   
about her that had escaped him in the past. The details hadn't escaped his sub-conscious,   
however, because they showed in his dreams every night. The silken feel of her hair, the   
way she smelled, the way her body fit so perfectly with his… It had been years since   
arousal had had pulled him from a deep sleep, but there it was. Every morning.   
  
He knew he had to apologize to her - but the thought of doing it face to face was more   
than he was ready to deal with. The things he was feeling for Grace were scary - was it   
friendship? Was it more? Either way, the feelings were alien to him. He hadn't truly been   
a friend to anyone since he was 15 - right before he came to Rawley. He'd certainly never   
felt that way about a girl before.  
  
The guilt - as well as the fact that he missed her company - finally prompted him to   
action.   
  
******  
  
  
"Gracie?" her dad's voice drifted up the stairs to Grace's room. "You've got a letter   
down here, honey!"  
  
She looked up from her homework, a frown furrowing her brow. "You sure it's for me,   
dad?" she yelled back. She never got mail. Well, there had been that one letter from her   
mom, but she'd immediately thrown that in the trash. She hadn't wanted to deal with that   
woman any more than Bella had.  
  
"Yep – it says 'Grace Banks' on it. I'll leave it on the table for you."  
  
Curious now, Grace left her English essay and went down to the kitchen to see this   
mysterious letter. Sure enough, there was a white envelope with her name and address   
clearly written on the front. She didn't recognize the handwriting, and the return address   
was only vaguely familiar, so she still had no clue as to who had written her, or why.   
Grabbing her dad's letter opener from his desk, she took the letter up to her room. She sat   
on her bed; English homework now forgotten, opened the envelope, and unfolded the   
paper inside.  
  
"C'mon, Grace. You can't stay mad at me forever. I screwed up and I'm sorry   
- I wasn't thinking. Nobody saw you leave and I didn't mention it, so you don't need to   
worry about your reputation. Now get over it already - I'm losing money without my   
favorite card shark in residence. –Ryder"  
  
She sighed. Ryder. She hadn't spoken to him in a little over a week, not since the day   
she'd woken up next to him. Her face heated as she remembered how safe, how…right it   
had felt to wake up with his arm around her. It had been comfortable and she hadn't   
wanted to move. Her mind wandered, remembering the feel of him pressed up against   
her, holding her tightly.  
  
Abruptly, she forced her thoughts back to the topic at hand. The letter.   
What was she going to do? She wasn't as pissed at him any more, but she was still hurt by   
what he'd said about New Rawley girls. He had been the first person she had trusted in a   
long time; she'd thought he understood her. How could she forgive him for what he'd   
done, even if no one knew about it? How could she believe that he wouldn't let it happen   
again? She began to tear the letter up - it was just a reminder of how he'd hurt her - then   
paused.   
  
She just couldn't quite bring herself to destroy it. Instead, she folded   
Ryder's note up, put it back in its envelope, and stuck it in her dresser drawer, then turned   
resolutely back to her schoolwork.  
  
From then on, the letters came once a week, every Tuesday. Her dad always left them on   
the kitchen table for her, and when she came home from school they were there, waiting.   
Each one softened her a little more; she missed his company as much as he apparently   
missed hers, but she still couldn't quite bring herself to forgive Ryder and let him back in.   
Grace wasn't stupid, and once she'd been burned, it took quite a bit for her to trust   
someone again. She had been hurt badly by Ryder.  
  
"Grace - How long are you going to stay mad at me? I'm sorry, all right? I'm not used to   
apologizing for my rotten behavior so, please, stop torturing me. I need you - my game is   
slipping. These bastards are robbing me blind without you here to distract them. – Ryder"  
  
She grinned at that one. It was now December, and she had just started Christmas break.   
It had been almost a month since she'd seen Ryder, and she was starting to enjoy his   
written groveling. She had pretty much forgiven him, figuring he had to be sincere if he   
kept writing, asking for forgiveness.   
  
She missed him, but still, she wasn't quite ready to let him off the hook.   
Assuming he was going home for his semester break, she decided that if he wrote again   
when he got back, she'd let him know that all was forgiven.  
  
She was stunned when another letter arrived for her, right on schedule, the next week.  
  
"Grace - Okay, fine, you've got me - I miss your company. It's not about cards, and its   
not about the guys - I miss you. I'm rambling around this school all by myself and I'd like   
to see you. Please. –Ryder"  
  
She chuckled. This was the sweetest letter yet. Well, it was sweet for Ryder. He was   
downright adorable when he groveled, in her opinion. Her thoughts turned quickly to the   
last sentence of the letter, not wanting to analyze what she thought of Ryder and his   
adorable-ness.  
  
He had stayed at Rawley? She sank down on her bed, confused. Why? Why on earth   
would Ryder choose to stay in the dorms rather than go home? Her heart went out to him   
– it couldn't have been fun to spend Christmas alone at school. Even if she and Bella   
didn't always get along, at least she'd been able to spend her holiday with family. Ryder   
had been alone. She felt guilty now. He had been her friend and had asked for her   
forgiveness and she'd been too stubborn to grant it, even when she'd wanted to.   
Suddenly, she grinned as she realized she wouldn't have to wait till January to let him   
know she was over their little tiff.  
  
  
  
Part 6  
  
Ryder was bored senseless. His mother and stepfather were on a Christmas cruise to the   
Caribbean. He hadn't been invited – not that he would have wanted to go. He had decided   
to stay at Rawley, figuring that if he was going to be alone for the holidays, he'd rather be   
alone at school than stuck in that big house that wasn't his home. In the week or so since   
the other boys had left, he'd played pool till he couldn't see straight, surfed the internet   
for hours at a time, watched every crappy show available on TV, played video games and   
invented new versions of solitaire.   
  
He had seen Hamilton and Jake outside, sometimes with Will and Grace's sister Bella,   
pitching snowballs at each other, but it wasn't like he could just up and join in the fun. He   
could only hope that Grace forgave him and came to see him during the break.   
  
Otherwise, he really thought he might go insane from boredom.  
  
Ryder watched the snowfall through his dorm window and frowned. He had been hoping   
to go for a drive today, but the relentless snowfall made that impossible. No matter how   
powerful the engine, a Corvette without snow tires was basically useless. For a moment   
he entertained the thought of having his car towed to the only garage in town and having   
the tires put on, but he knew that was the move of a desperate man. She'd know it was   
just a ruse to see her. Which it was, ultimately. There wasn't anywhere he needed to go.   
  
Beyond that fact he hadn't gotten even a peep of a response from all his letters, so he   
didn't know how she'd react to him when he saw her. If she was still mad at him he could   
be in mortal danger – he'd seen Grace's temper in action. But if she wasn't…  
  
"If she wasn't she would have said something by now," he thought to himself bitterly.   
Writing those letters had been difficult – for someone who prided himself on being closed   
off and distant he felt like he'd left a mile-wide gaping hole in his protective veneer. He   
wrote them anyway – because he had to. The more he thought about her the more he   
realized that she was the only person he knew who actually liked him. And he liked her   
too – she was fun to be around, and it was comfortable talking to her. Although he hadn't   
yet, he felt like he could tell her almost anything, and she'd still accept him. Not like the   
other students at Rawley, who'd tear him apart at any sign of weakness.  
  
He knew that was his own fault, but there wasn't any way to go back and erase all the   
crap he'd done to people at Rawley. He'd been so bitter and angry when he first arrived   
at Rawley that he took it out on everybody around him. His cruel brand of humor had   
won the respect of some boys, while inspiring fear in others. He quickly became sort of   
the prince of the bad boys at Rawley, and he'd rather enjoyed the position. The poisonous   
venom of resentment fueled his actions, and he was often cruel just because he could. He   
had a knack for getting under a person's skin and needling in the spot where the ego was   
most tender.  
  
Rawley Academy for Boys was his stepfather's grand idea – punishment for getting   
involved with the daughter of one of his clients. Impregnating the daughter of one of his   
clients. At least, that's what she had claimed. After he had arrived at Rawley his mother   
rang him to let him know that the girl was not "in the family way"; she never had been.   
Apparently she just wanted her daddy's attention and she had used him to get it. And   
there he was, sent away to another country for a crime he didn't even commit.  
  
Grudgingly he had to admit, that Rawley wasn't so horrible – it really was a good school,   
and his mother's guilt had become pretty lucrative (note one red Corvette among the   
many ways she attempted to buy back his favor). After three years at Rawley he'd grown   
accustomed to the students and the American way of doing things – and his anger had   
faded. He still intensely disliked his stepfather, but he was less inclined to aim that   
emotion at other people.   
  
As his anger faded another emotion had filled its place – loneliness. He hadn't wanted to   
be close to anyone for so long that he almost hadn't recognized the feeling. When he'd   
been driving Grace back and forth that feeling had faded, and when she stopped speaking   
to him it had returned full-force. During her silent treatment he realized that he needed   
her – she was his only real friend.  
  
*******  
  
He woke with a start to find his room considerably darker that it had been when he   
drifted off. An insistent knocking on his door must have been what woke him – he got out   
of bed, pulled on a sweatshirt, and yawned and stretched his way to the door.  
  
"Good morning!" Grace said when he opened the door and she took in his rumpled   
appearance. "Sleeping already? You must really be bored!"  
  
She ducked under his arm and entered his room, smiling at how adorable he looked with   
his blond hair sticking up like Calvin from the Calvin and Hobbes cartoons. Two months   
ago adorable was hardly the word she would have used to describe him, but there he was,   
reminding her that the first time she met him she thought he was beautiful. Umm,   
no…hot was the word she had used.  
  
When he turned the light on she noticed that his face was a little pinkish – was he   
blushing, or was it because he just woke up? She brushed that thought aside – it was   
distracting her from her purpose.  
  
"Get dressed – we've got places to go tonight," she said brightly.  
  
"Really, where would we be going in such vile weather?" he said as he shut the door,   
amused by her command.   
  
"There's a party in town tonight – it's supposed to be huge. It's about the only exciting   
thing going on in this kind of weather, so I thought you might be interested in coming.   
But if you have other plans…I could let you go back to your nap…"  
  
"I'll go – I just need to know what to wear," he said hastily, afraid that if he played too   
many games with her she'd leave him alone to die of boredom.  
  
She smiled at the desperation she was sure he hadn't wanted her to see – her heart went   
out to him, but she was also amused to see him unsure of himself. She went into his   
closet, rummaged for a couple of minutes and came out with an oversized black sweater,   
a white T-shirt.   
  
"Where this – you need to look good if you're coming with me," she said with a   
flirtatious grin.   
  
"And why's that?" he asked, taking off his sweatshirt to pull on the clothes she had   
placed on the bed.  
  
"Because I'm gonna need you for protection tonight – I need you to pretend to be my   
date."  
  
He finished pulling the sweater over his head as he tried to figure out how to react to that   
– should he be mad that she wanted to use him, or that she didn't want him to be her *   
real * date? When he glanced up at her he realized she was still waiting for a response –   
for the first time since she'd shown up she looked a little unsure of herself.   
  
"Well, I think I'll need a little more detail before I'll agree to let you use me for cover,"   
he said dryly.   
  
"I'm just not in the mood to be hit on tonight – that's all. The girls will be less likely to   
shoot daggers at me all night if I show up with a date," she said, rolling her eyes.   
  
"You know how girls get when their boyfriends ignore them to flirt with another girl –   
like it's my fault or something."   
  
"So who am I protecting you from? The boys or the girls?"  
  
"Both!" she said, and they both laughed.   
  
After a few more minutes of primping he was presentable enough for her, and they set   
out for the party.  
  
*****  
  
They pulled up outside a two-story house separated from its neighbors by a large side   
yard filled with snow-covered trees. It was the perfect buffer to ensure that the neighbors   
didn't complain about the noise. Grace turned off the engine of her dad's truck and cut   
the lights. She hadn't been to a party in months, and she was surprised that she was   
actually feeling the old excitement.  
  
She hopped down from the truck and met Ryder around the front. She giggled a little   
when he extended his arm for her to take, but she was honestly touched by the gallant   
gesture. She looped her arm through his, and grinned at him.   
  
"Thanks for coming tonight Ryder. Really. I appreciate it," she said.   
  
He grinned back, happy that she was speaking to him again. "It's better than another wild   
night with the Nintendo," he cracked as they entered the house.   
  
The party was loud and crowded – standing room only in the rooms and hallways lit only   
by Christmas lights and blinking neon Budweiser signs. They dropped their coats in a   
bedroom off the main hallway and Grace led the way into the main body of the party. She   
greeted people she knew in passing as she forged a path towards the kitchen and the kegs,   
and he tried to keep up with her.   
  
Once in the kitchen she rummaged in the refrigerator and grabbed two bottles of beer   
from the back.   
  
Handing him one of the bottles she said, "I know how much you hate American beer, but   
it's the best I can do."   
  
He rolled his eyes at the offering but accepted the bottle. "Shall we toast?" he asked.   
  
"Sure. Ummm…to Ryder and Grace – the two most misunderstood friends in the entire   
town of New Rawley." She smiled at him and raised her bottle.   
  
He couldn't stop the grin that spread across his face. "Friends, huh?" he asked, as he   
tapped his bottle against hers. "Does this mean you don't hate me anymore?"   
  
Her eyes sparkled. "Well, you're here, and not dead in a Rawley dorm room, right?"   
  
And suddenly, everything was solved. It was as if their fight had never happened. Both at   
ease with the other, they took a gulp from their respective bottles. Grace looked at her   
"date." "Okay, date-boy, let's go party!" She slung her arm around his shoulders and   
took off in the direction of the music.   
  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*   
  
  
Ryder had been watching her dance and mingle with her friends for almost two hours. He   
was impressed – Grace was a regular social butterfly and she was completely in her   
element, sparkling with life and charm. He had been warily received by the New Rawley   
kids at first, but once they realized he was with Grace and wasn't out to cause trouble,   
they either left him alone or chatted casually with him. He was amazed to find that   
he was having fun with the kids he'd made fun of so frequently.   
  
The best part had been watching Grace dance. She had a natural sense of rhythm and   
moved easily across the floor to the music, completely losing herself in the beat. As he   
sipped his beer and watched her, he was struck by how beautiful she was. Her eyes   
glittered and her hair shone, even in the dim light. He wasn't quite sure how to take this   
new vision of Grace, but as he watched her relax and have fun he was glad he'd gotten   
the chance to see her like this. At the poker games, she sparkled, but it was a brittle   
charm, as if she'd crack under too much pressure. Here, though, she was relaxed, and her   
natural effervescence bubbled to the surface.   
  
Grace had seen Ryder watching her, even though he'd tried to act like he wasn't. She was   
flattered – and more than a little intrigued by his reaction. She'd also noticed how sexy he   
looked in his oversized sweater and jeans. He was relaxed, definitely, but there was just   
something about the way he carried himself and the look in his eyes. The boy had   
charisma. He just oozed it.   
  
The music changed again and Grace fought the urge to jump up and down and squeal.   
She'd wanted to get Ryder on the dance floor, and it seemed like the DJ had offered her   
the perfect opportunity…   
  
As Christina Aguilera's voice belted out the first lines to "Come On Over Baby," Grace   
spun around and caught Ryder's eye. She smiled flirtatiously at him from across the   
room, her grin widening when he cocked an eyebrow in her direction, an intrigued look   
in his eye. She glided over to where he was perched on the back of the couch, taking her   
time, her hips swaying in time to the music. When she was within arm's reach of him, she   
tilted her head and lip-synched along with the music, crooking her finger. "Come over   
here, baby….You know you make me go crazy," she mouthed to him.   
  
He was mesmerized. Grace held out her hand to him, and without thinking twice, he took   
it. Standing, he pulled her to him and at the start of the second verse, they began to move.   
It was perfect. Their bodies seemed to know what to do, even though they'd never danced   
together before.   
  
She took his hands and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling their bodies together.   
They moved together, his hands resting on the small of her back, guiding her. He took   
one of her hands in his and spun her out from him, then brought her back smoothly.   
Dance lessons from years ago took over and he began to lead her across the dance floor.   
It wasn't any kind of formal, set dance, just two people swaying and twirling in perfect   
synch. There was a little salsa, a little swing, and a little hip grinding, all blended together   
to create a dance that was uniquely Grace and Ryder. She followed him easily, naturally,   
as if they'd been practicing for years. For a brief three and a half minutes it was hard to   
tell where one began and the other ended. They were each a part of the other and the   
effect was electrifying.   
  
Ryder was exhilarated. He'd danced with girls before, but never so perfectly. Grace felt   
so…right in his arms. Her body responded to his every subtle touch. He lost himself in   
the music and the dance, spinning her away from him and back into his arms, swiveling   
their hips together, their bodies so close that paper wouldn't have fit between them. He   
wanted to laugh out loud for the sheer joy he felt, which stunned him. Who'd have   
guessed that Ryder would have found the perfect release from his loneliness in dancing   
with Grace Banks?   
  
Grace felt like she was flying as Ryder spun her across the floor. She knew he could   
dance – she'd seen him with other girls at the Rawley cotillions. But she'd never   
imagined she'd feel so free, yet so safe, in his arms. She had no fear that he'd embarrass   
her on the dance floor, no fear that he'd make fun of her. The whole experience was like   
a dream.   
  
As the song ended, Ryder lowered Grace to the ground in a perfect dip. Her head fell   
back and as the world tilted, she laughed at the sheer perfection of the moment.   
  
He grinned at her obvious delight and held the pose for a moment, just long enough to   
savor the feel of her in his arms for one last second. As he brought her back up, she   
wrapped her free arm around his shoulder for support and they were suddenly face-to-  
face, laughing and breathless. Her eyes were dancing, her hair was in disarray from the   
spinning and the dip, and Ryder couldn't remember the last time he'd seen something so   
beautiful. Completely on impulse, he lowered his lips to hers.   
  
Their lips brushed against each other lightly at first, neither one sure where this had   
come from or where it was going. Grace's hand's crept up to tangle in Ryder's hair as his   
arms tightened around her waist. He increased the pressure on her mouth slightly and she   
responded by parting her lips under his.   
  
Ryder couldn't think straight. Hell, he couldn't think at all. He could only act. He was   
kissing Grace Banks. When her hands slipped into his hair, he pulled her closer. When   
her mouth opened, he pressed his tongue forward without thinking twice, dipping into her   
mouth to taste her. It was incredible – and the last thing he'd ever imagined doing with   
Grace.   
  
Grace whimpered slightly when he pulled their bodies together, but the sound was   
drowned out by the music. She was dizzy from the heady sensations his mouth was   
evoking in her, and the world around them had faded to nothingness. As his tongue   
probed, she pressed her own forward, tangling them briefly together, savoring the   
feeling of perfection the kiss had created.   
  
All too soon, the noise of the music and the crowd registered in their minds and they   
broke apart, dazed beyond words. Grace's eyes were huge and shocked; Ryder couldn't   
hide how stunned he was by the power of that simple, brief kiss. Grace backed away   
slowly, not wanting to break the connection, yet desperately needing to clear her head.   
She spun around and headed for the kitchen.  
  
He stood there, frozen in place, as he watched her go. Kissing Grace had never really   
crossed his mind before, but now…he could still feel her, smell her, taste her…and the   
feeling was disconcerting. Never before had a kiss had so much power – and he needed   
time to think. He glanced quickly around him to make sure nobody saw him in his stupor   
and left to find someplace with some relative peace and quiet.   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*   
  
Grace dug in the refrigerator for another beer – she drained the first one way too quickly,   
and her face still felt flushed. She grabbed another and went to sit by the window in the   
breakfast nook – the window looked out over the backyard and was the perfect spot to   
lose herself in her thoughts.  
  
Staring out at the snow-covered yard she tried to calm the emotions swirling through her.   
Ryder kissing her was the last thing in the world she'd expected – he always went for the   
rich Rawley girls, not poor townies – besides, they were friends, right? Maybe it was   
just…god, she knew it wasn't * just * anything. It was…amazing. She'd felt that kiss all   
the way down to her toes …did that happen with people who were just friends?   
Were they really just friends? She had to admit she'd been flirting with him, enjoying the   
way he looked at her, hoping for some kind of reaction. Well, she got one, and now she   
didn't know what to do with it. Except get another beer – she was empty again.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
He found her in the kitchen just as she was opening another bottle – struggling with it   
actually. He took the bottle from her hands, opened it, and handed it back without saying   
a word. She took a long gulp and passed him the bottle, her eyes never once leaving his.  
He opened his mouth to apologize to her, but what he actually said was, "Do you want to   
get out of here?" – and immediately cringed. That wasn't what he had planned to say at   
all – he had just spent the last hour deciding that having her as a friend was more   
important than whatever…impulses…he felt towards her. But when she was standing so   
close, and he looked into her eyes…brains turned off and his mouth went on autopilot.  
She surprised both of them by saying yes.  
  
Part 7  
  
Back in his dorm room Ryder turned on the lamp on his dresser and the one on his desk,   
lighting the room dimly. He tossed the keys to her truck on the desk. She gravitated   
towards his CD player and began investigating his collection of CD's.   
  
"Yuck – all I can smell is beer," she complained, "It's in my hair, my clothes – yuck."   
  
He stood behind her and sniffed exaggeratedly at her hair, then lifted one arm and   
smelled the sleeve of her sweater. A faint tremor ran through her, barely detectable, when   
he touched her arm. He smiled at her reaction to his touch. She wasn't as immune to him   
as she wanted to be, apparently.   
  
"Your hair smells just fine," he said, "but the sweater – definitely a brewery."   
  
She whirled around to face him, looking up to see the teasing glint in his eyes. "Do you   
have something I could borrow for now – something a little more April fresh than   
Budweiser?" she asked, her own eyes sparkling as she smiled up at him.   
  
"You know," she said, taking a step closer to him and sniffing the sweater he was   
wearing, "you've got eau de brewery going on too…" she said teasingly. She grinned as   
the close proximity of their bodies unmistakably caused him to inhale sharply.   
  
"All right, all right, I guess a change of clothes is in order – for both of us. I'll see if I can   
find something that you won't swim in. Pick some music out while I hunt," he said with a   
smile.   
  
He rummaged in the closet for a few minutes and emerged wearing a clean, white t-shirt,   
and handed her his English National Team soccer jersey.   
  
"Play this," she said, handing him a CD, and gestured for him to turn around so she could   
change. As she slipped his shirt on over her head, she inhaled the scent of Ryder that   
clung to the jersey, savoring it. It felt safe, like she was wrapped in his arms…   
  
He put in the CD, trying not to think about the fact that Grace was topless in his room at   
that very moment. She cleared her throat and he turned around to find her looking damn   
cute in his clothes. The white jersey had navy and red rings on the collar and the National   
Team's logo patch on the chest. It was at least two sizes too big for her, and the size,   
coupled with the white material, made her look even more pale and delicate. It almost   
covered the black skirt she was wearing. All he could really see was her black tights   
and the hem of the skirt.   
  
"I hope this is the song you wanted to hear," he said as he pushed play. UB40's "Don't   
Break My Heart" came through the speakers. She smiled at him, almost shyly, as he took   
her hand and pulled her closer to him. The reggae beat was slower than the music at the   
party and they easily fell into a natural rhythm. He moved her hands up to his shoulders   
and rested both of his hands lightly at the small of her back.   
  
She looked up at him and they locked eyes as they danced – both serious for once,   
knowing that something more was going on than just dancing. She looked uncertain and   
he looked almost bewildered by what was happening. They were both acknowledging   
that whatever was between them, it was definitely more than simply friendship. The   
feelings were simply undeniable.   
  
Never taking their eyes away from one another, their movements slowed to a gentle   
swaying together in time with the music. She slid her arms more tightly around his   
shoulders, pulling them even closer together. Their eyes were still locked as they each   
tried to make sense of what was happening to them. Without speaking, they tried to   
understand what the other wanted, what they needed. As the song came near an end they   
were hardly moving. He wrapped his arms around her, pulled her tighter to him, and he   
savored the feel of her against him. "God, what am I doing?" he asked himself, as he   
kissed her gently.   
  
Grace's eyes drifted shut as she accepted his kiss, unable to turn away. Truth be told, she   
didn't want to turn away. She wanted to kiss Ryder as much as he wanted to kiss her. She   
still didn't know where these feelings had come from, but she knew that with Ryder she   
felt…safe…accepted. Her head was swimming from the closeness of him, and the feel of   
his lips on hers sent a small electrical fire throughout her body. She responded to his kiss   
with even more fervor than before, her hands twining in his hair and tugging gently as her   
mouth opened under his. She felt his hand slide up to the middle of her back, pressing   
them even more tightly together as his tongue slipped into her mouth. She met it with her   
own, and they stood for a long minute, locked in a kiss that was both incredibly   
passionate and incredibly tender.   
  
Finally, he forced himself to pull his mouth from hers. He kept his eyes closed for a   
moment while he caught his breath. Unsure of how she was going to react, he opened his   
eyes warily, looking down at her with trepidation in his gaze. She smiled up at him, a   
little uncertain, but with genuine happiness lighting her eyes. Her hands moved from his   
hair to his shoulders, and she clung to him for support. His blue eyes met her gray and he   
smiled back before he again sought out her lips for another, hungrier kiss.  
  
Their kisses turned frantic as they lost control of the passion burning them up from the   
inside. First his shirt, then hers, landed on the floor at their feet and they slowly drifted   
towards the bed, hands roaming and clutching desperately. He sank down on the bed and   
pulled her body over him so that he could look up at her and feel her hair lightly graze his   
cheek. He was still for a moment, trying to catch his breath and making sure that this was   
a place, and a state, that she wanted to be in. He'd never felt lust of this magnitude before   
and he wanted to be sure she felt the same. The sight, smell, and feel of her were making   
him crazy – but nowhere near as much as the look she gave him before she rolled on top   
of him. She straddled his hips, looking incredibly sexy wearing a red camisole top that fit   
like a second layer of skin, and he'd never felt so turned on by anything in his life.   
  
Until she leaned in to kiss him.  
  
Grace found she liked being the aggressor – she loved the look of anticipation in his eyes   
when she slowly leaned in to kiss him, and the way he tried to follow her when she pulled   
away. She thought he looked cute with his hair all messy and his lips…oh his lips looked   
good…but she wanted something else. With one finger she tilted his head back and   
leaned forward to lightly brush her lips against his neck. His whole body shivered and she   
smiled – she loved the feeling of power that came with creating such a response. She   
grew bolder, her tongue blazing a trail from his jaw to his collarbone, then dancing her   
way back up with small tastes and occasional nips of her teeth.   
  
He couldn't help but groan again – her hot breath mixed with the silken feel of her warm,   
wet tongue was making his head swim. He wasn't used to this kind of attention from a   
girl – the girls he dated were usually so passive and boring it was no wonder he lost   
interest once he got what he wanted. Grace was very different and he had a feeling she   
was going to be full of surprises.   
  
Throughout her ministrations he continued to run his hands lightly over her back and   
along her sides, but when she returned to kiss him deeply, tongue and all, he turned the   
tables on her. He rolled her over onto her back, pressing his bare chest against her nearly   
bare one, and nuzzled the hollow between her neck and her shoulder. She shivered and let   
out a small moan, which he took as a good sign.   
  
He made a trail with his lips from her neck down to her chest, his tongue darting out to   
savor the sweet taste of her skin. Lightly   
cupping one full breast over her camisole top he ran his tongue along the crevice between   
the two. She gasped and he could instantly feel her arousal. The stiff peaks of her nipples   
had a magnetic pull for him and he reached up under the stretchy material to get to them.   
Her hands twined in his hair as he expertly licked and sucked each one in turn. He moved   
one leg between hers and soon they were moving against each other, hips twisting to   
make as much direct contact as possible.   
  
Soon her top was bunched up above her breasts, and he was showering them with such sweet   
attention she couldn't help but moan loudly.   
Grace could hardly think - the electricity between them had increased to the point where   
she felt she might explode. No boy had ever made her feel this good – most boys she had   
knew wouldn't have known, nor cared to know, how to make her feel like this. In fact,   
the only boys she had slept with had been such utter disappointments she hadn't bothered   
after a few tries. It was funny – Ryan assumed she was a slut, but in reality she was pretty   
discerning about who she would let get close to her.   
  
Yet…here she was with Ryder, letting him drive her crazy in one night that wasn't even a   
first date. She could feel his excitement just as surely as he could feel hers, and it dawned   
on her that this is exactly what guys like Ryan assumed she would do.  
  
A wave of icy-cold fear coursed over her. Oh god…what if they were right about her?  
  
  
He could sense the change in her instantly – she grew silent and he felt the gooseflesh   
spread over her skin. She reached up and pulled her top back down and tried to push him   
off of her. He rolled on to his side, but he kept his arms around her, keeping her still.  
"Grace, what's wrong?" he asked, confusion and concern coloring his face.   
  
She covered her face with her hands and took a deep breath, not sure where   
to start explaining.   
  
"I'm sorry, Ryder. It's just…here I am, after a few beers, topless in your dorm room,   
and…" Her voice trailed off. "God, what are we doing?" she asked, looking for an   
explanation for this unexpected passion. She kept her eyes closed, unable to look at him;   
afraid to see the condemnation that she was sure was in his gaze.   
  
Ryder relaxed, relieved it wasn't anything specific he had done. He pried one of her   
hands from her face, trying to think of the right words to reassure her that he didn't think   
less of her for what had just happened. He hadn't comforted someone in a very long time,   
though, and he wasn't sure where to start. He did know that he couldn't afford to screw   
this up. Whatever was happening between the two of them, even if it was just passion   
between two friends, was too…real…to lose. He had to convince Grace that he didn't   
think any less of her.   
  
"Grace, look at me." She hesitantly opened one eye and quickly shut it again. He couldn't   
help it, he chuckled. "No, Gracie, for real, look at me." She complied with his request   
warily. He sighed. "Grace…for what it's worth, I know you're not a slut." Her eyes   
opened all the way at that.   
  
"Really? You don't think…" she took a deep breath. "You don't think this proves the   
other guys right? That I am nothing but a townie slut?" she asked. If nothing else, she   
knew Ryder would give her a straight answer.   
  
He looked her in the eye and said, "No, Grace. You're not. Whatever this was that just   
happened, it doesn't make you a slut. Besides, I thought we agreed that the others were   
idiots, remember?"   
  
She smiled. "Well, yeah, they are idiots…but…" her voice trailed off again.   
  
He sighed and leaned forward to kiss her lightly. "But nothing."   
  
She sat up, and he stretched out on his back, looking up at her. "Thanks, Ryder. Look,   
um, God, don't take this the wrong way, but I better go. I think…it's late, and I need   
some time to figure out what just happened here. With us, I mean. 'Cause, well…it   
was…" she searched for the right word.   
  
He cocked an eyebrow and supplied, "Unexpected?"   
  
She let out a short laugh. "Yeah. Unexpected." She slid her shoes back on and grabbed   
her sweater from the back of the chair, pulling it over her head.   
  
Ryder got up off his bed and handed Grace her jacket as they walked to his door.   
Suddenly, as they stood in Ryder's doorway, it was as if they had both been struck dumb.   
Neither one knew quite what to say to the other.   
  
Grace tried first. "Um, well…thanks…I guess. I mean…uh…" she gave up, not sure what   
to say after a night like the one they'd just had.   
  
"Yeah," Ryder said, understanding both her confusion and what she wanted to   
say.   
  
They stood for another awkward moment before Grace finally tried again. "Well,   
goodnight, then. I guess…yeah, goodnight." She smiled sheepishly at him, feeling like an   
idiot.   
  
Ryder grinned down at her, brushing her hair back from her face. She was so adorable he   
couldn't help what he did next. He leaned down and kissed her one last time, briefly   
brushing his lips to hers. "Goodnight, Gracie."   
  
She grinned, her eyes sparkling again, awkwardness gone. "Bye, Ryder." She turned and   
walked out the door.   
  
  



	2. I scare myself

Title: Experimental Grace  
Authors: Debba and Sue  
Category: Other - Grace/Ryder  
Rating: R  
E-mail: debba78@hotmail.com and ruststar@aol.com  
Disclaimer: We own nothing  
Summary: Get to know Grace and Ryder better…  
Authors note: Its one year later than the series.  
  
Part 8  
  
Grace awoke slowly, reluctantly accepting that morning had arrived. She groaned as she   
stretched and sat up. A glance at the alarm clock on her dresser across the room told her   
that it was 8 AM and she'd had only 5 hours sleep. She flopped back on the bed and flung   
an arm over her eyes trying to block out the sunlight – it was much too early to be up,   
especially after a night like last night.   
  
Thoughts of the previous night – and Ryder – shoved fatigue out of her mind and caused   
a flush of heat to wash over her. She bit her lip as she mentally pictured him leaning in to   
kiss her goodnight – his eyes had looked so beautiful and his kiss was so gentle that she   
dared to believe that it might have been real. Not that the kiss had been imagined, but   
rather that there were real feelings behind it.   
  
She was realistic enough to know that sometimes kisses didn't mean anything, and even   
sex could just be a diversion, but last night felt good - until her brain got in the way. He   
had been nice about it, but she knew guys like Ryder (hell, any guy) didn't just slam on   
the brakes as quickly as girls did. With a sly grin she wondered what he'd done after she   
left…  
  
"Get your mind out of the gutter," she admonished herself, and forced herself to think   
about something else. It was hard though - her mind kept drifting into forbidden territory.   
Part of her wondered if he was really okay with her taking off like she did, and the other   
part wondered what would have happened if she stayed. What did she want to happen?   
She honestly didn't know. The big question in her mind was how he felt about her – did   
he see her as just another conquest? Or did he have real feelings for her? Was last night   
about more than lust?   
  
She sat up in bed – it was obvious she was not going to be able to fall back to sleep.   
Maybe a shower and some coffee would help revive her – and keeping busy would   
distract her from her thoughts. Well, as long as the shower was lukewarm.  
  
*********  
  
Ryder had never felt more uncomfortable in his life.   
  
He was sitting on the bench in the gas station watching Grace's dad put snow tires on his   
corvette and struggling to control where his mind wandered. Every time the man spoke to   
him the very first thing he thought was "I was making out with your daughter last   
night…" Very distracting, because along with that came the visuals – each image of   
Grace nearly knocking the breath out of him. He might not have felt so uncomfortable   
around the man if he had only kissed her, but his issue was that he desperately wanted to   
sleep with her last night, and they came so close that now he couldn't look the man in the   
eye.  
  
Luckily, Charlie wasn't a chatty sort of man, so he didn't force him to go into details of   
his life in which he might reveal the real reason he was there getting snow tires he didn't   
* really * need. He wanted to see Grace – no, needed to see her. He had spent most of the   
night after she left lying awake and wondering what had just happened between them.   
Hours of analyzing had come to one conclusion – what had happened the night before   
was more than just lust, more than just friendship boundaries mistakenly crossed – he   
liked Grace. More than any girl he'd known.  
  
To distract himself he wandered into the main part of the station and sat down on the   
bench near the window. He flipped through the magazines piled next to him on the bench   
looking for something to read. He had a choice of automotive magazines – not   
interesting – or several issues of Seventeen, Vogue, and YM. "Hmm, you'd think girls   
lived here," he thought to himself, chuckling, and picked up the Seventeen magazine.   
Know thine enemy, somebody once said…  
  
*********  
  
Grace headed downstairs to get some much-needed coffee. The shower helped eliminate   
most of the fuzziness in her brain, but she still felt the last dregs of fatigue and needed a   
kick-start. As she came around the corner she spotted Ryder on the bench near the   
window. Her eyes grew huge and she quickly retreated into the safety of the stairwell to   
the upstairs apartment. What the hell was he doing here? Why would he be here so early?   
  
She slowly peaked her head around the corner to watch him. He was sitting there, looking   
incredible, as usual, and he was reading a magazine with such intensity that he didn't   
realize he wasn't alone. On closer inspection she noticed what he was reading and she   
fought hard to stifle the giggles. Ryder reading Seventeen magazine? Classic.   
  
Ammunition.  
  
"Learning anything?" she asked, amusement barely contained as she slipped around the   
corner again to make her presence known.  
  
He jumped when he heard her voice, and she grinned at the blush slowly creeping up his   
neck. Ryder blushing was even better.  
  
"Only that the writers of this dreck are completely daft," he said, trying to cover his   
embarrassment by turning the attention on her, "Do you actually read this trash?"   
  
She blushed and grabbed the magazine from him and pretended to search for an article.   
"What about this one? Are Bad Boys Really Just Insecure? I wonder..." her voice trailed   
off and her eyes danced with amusement.   
  
"I don't recall seeing that one," he said dryly, knowing she was full of crap. He loved that   
she could dish it right back at him.   
  
"Tease all you want, but sometimes the articles are actually good," she said.  
  
"Really? Even the quizzes?" he asked, not quite ready to quit the safety of the teasing   
banter. "This stuff is laughable....'Does He Really Like Me? How To Tell!' - its obvious   
they have no idea what's really going through our minds. Did you take this thing? They're   
all circled..."  
  
"Well," she said slowly, "Was I even close?"   
  
"Close? Hmmm....let me take a look at your answers," he said, using the time to collect   
his thoughts – he hadn't expected her to be so direct. He flipped through the pages again,   
not even reading the page, trying to decide how to answer. Finally he settled on the truth.   
  
"Maybe," he said seriously, holding her gaze.  
  
Her breath caught at that - she hadn't expected him to be serious. This wasn't a joke   
anymore and her smirk faded away.  
  
"'Maybe's' not very specific, you know," she said, ducking behind the protection of the   
counter to the coffee machine. She was trying to gauge just how serious he was about   
this...but she just couldn't look at him. If he was just toying with her, she'd die. But first   
she'd claw his eyes out. She busied herself fixing a cup of coffee so that she had her back   
to him.  
  
He nearly made her spill the coffee she was pouring all over the counter when she heard   
him speak right behind her.  
  
"The nit in the article says these things take time…"  
  
"Do you think she's right?" she asked, turning around to face him.   
  
"Maybe?" he asked quietly, feeling very unsure of himself. "I think...maybe...it depends   
on the people."  
  
"You're full of 'maybes' today, aren't you…" she said before taking a sip of her coffee to   
hide the smile on her face. Butterflies were beating their wings violently in her chest, but   
she tried her best to control them. He seemed sincere…she'd never seen him look   
so…there wasn't even a word for it, because she'd never seen it. She also knew he had a   
damn good poker face – she'd seen him bluff guys for hours when he kept getting hands   
of crappy cards. She knew he could be faking this, just to mess with her. Well, she wasn't   
going to make it easy on him. If he wanted to be with her he was going to have to take the   
risk and put his feelings out there first. She knew what a shit he could be...as attracted to   
him as she was, she wasn't about to let him trample on her.  
  
He knew that look – and knew she wasn't going to trust him. Damn her. For once in his   
life he was at a loss for words and she was not going to help one little bit. And he knew   
he deserved it. He had no idea how to fix it, but he took a stab anyway, for the first time   
flying blindly based solely on the way he was feeling.  
  
"Come out with me today and we'll find out," he said simply, and reached across the   
counter to stroke her hand. He smiled when she willingly laced her fingers with his after   
a moment's hesitation, and he looked up to find her smiling back at him.  
  
The sound of the outside door opening startled them and she yanked her hand back   
quickly.  
  
"There you are – your car's all ready," Charlie said, a little amused when he saw their red   
faces. He hadn't seen Grace when he first walked in, but the way the boy jumped was   
explained when he rounded the corner.  
  
Chuckling to himself he addressed his daughter, "Grace, will you ring him up for me?   
I've got cleaning up I have to do in the garage…" He didn't wait for her to answer, just   
backed out the way he came in after dropping the keys to the boy's corvette on the   
counter. The way the two were trying so hard NOT to look at each other was absolutely   
hilarious, so he thought he'd leave them alone before he burst out laughing.  
  
Grace wiggled her fingers at her dad in a little wave goodbye – she could tell he was   
amused and she couldn't wait to kill him for embarrassing her. And for ruining the mood.  
  
After she rang up the charges and returned Ryder's credit card she came out from behind   
the counter, grabbed her coat from one of the hooks on the wall, and rolled her eyes at   
him. "Sorry about my dad…he can be such a dork…I'm not gonna hear the end of it   
tonight…"  
  
"Don't worry about it – he seems pretty cool. Some fathers are complete knobs about   
such things. So…where do you want to go?"  
  
She thought for a moment – her mind working a mile a minute. She knew what most boys   
hated to do, what they would rather die than do – unless they really liked someone. It was   
the ultimate test. She put on her most innocent smile before telling him where she wanted   
to go.  
  
"Shopping?" he asked, incredulous. He hated shopping – too many people, all the tacky   
decorations, was she daft? Then he noticed a little glimmer in her eyes…she was toying   
with him.   
  
"Shopping it is then," he said agreeably, and when he saw the way her eyes lit up, he   
knew he'd finally said just the right thing.  
  
  



	3. I could get to know you well

Title: Experimental Grace  
Authors: Debba and Sue  
Category: Other – Grace/Ryder  
Rating: R  
E-mail: debba78@hotmail.com and ruststar@aol.com  
Disclaimer: We own nothing  
Summary: Grace and Ryder may be falling in love  
Thanks: To Alicia for being such a wonderful muse. Without you this story might have   
never happened!  
  
  
Part 9  
  
Ryder had to admit he was impressed with the way Grace shopped. The girl hardly   
wasted any time at all. She was looking for a dress for a New Year's Eve party and she   
wanted it to be perfect. She breezed into almost every store in the mall; flipped quickly   
through the racks of dresses, and tried on a couple if she found anything she liked. If she   
didn't, it was on to the next store.   
  
He was flattered that she wanted his opinion on the dresses she tried on. She looked great   
in just about everything she picked – Grace had a good sense of what looked good on her   
– but they'd been at the mall for almost two hours and still hadn't found anything that   
was perfect. His patience was wearing thin as he waited for her to show him the dress she   
was currently trying.   
  
His jaw dropped when she walked out of the dressing rooms, a grin on her face.   
  
"I kinda like this one – what do you think?" she asked. Not that she needed to ask, the   
look on his face said it all.   
  
A smile crossed his face as he took in the sight of Grace in her dress. "Yeah, I think…"   
he stood up and twirled her around so he could drink in the sight of her from all angles. "I   
think that might be the one, Gracie," he said.   
  
She smiled up at him. "Yeah, I think so too." She turned to look in the mirror, smoothing   
the fabric. The dress was a dark midnight blue that fell to just above the knee; the soft   
skirt twirled around her spreading from a fitted waist. It showed off her curves without   
being tight, and the scoop neckline showed off only a little cleavage, making it by far the   
classiest dress she'd ever worn. She loved it. She glanced at Ryder's reflection in the   
mirror and caught him staring at her. A crazy idea began to form in her head.   
  
"Ryder?" she asked, turning to look at him.   
  
"Hmmm?"   
  
"Um…would you like to go to the New Year's party with me?" she sounded unsure of   
herself and she hated that, but she wasn't sure how he felt about her yet.   
  
He was startled by her request – it was the last thing he'd expected. He didn't want to   
seem too eager though, so he tried to play it cool and not show how much he wanted to   
say yes.   
  
"Grace, are you asking me out?" he asked in a teasing voice.   
  
She blushed, but managed to look him in the eye. "Yeah, what if I am?" she teased back.   
"You want to go or not?"   
  
His eyes swept over her in that dress, taking in how stunning she looked. He met her eyes   
and smiled. "Yeah, Grace. I'd love to go."   
  
She smiled back. "Great. Um, I'm gonna go change so I can pay for this and we can get   
out of here. I still need to hit a few more stores, though," she said as she slipped back into   
the dressing room.   
  
He managed not to groan.   
  
They headed out of the department store and back into the mall. Grace veered right, and   
Ryder followed, having no idea where he was going. She paused briefly to admire some   
earrings in the window of a jewelry store, sighing. She'd never be able to afford them,   
but they were gorgeous.   
  
"So, where are we headed now?" he asked.   
  
She snapped out of her reverie. "Oh, um…well, I need to get hose for the dress, so I   
guess I need to go to Victoria's Secret…" her voice trailed off.   
  
Ryder's eyebrows rose. She wanted him to go to Victoria's Secret? Judging by the blush   
creeping up her neck she clearly didn't. He grinned and grabbed her hand. "Well, lets go   
see what she's so secretive about then," he said, wanting to see what she'd do.   
  
"I said that 'I' need to go there – you don't get to come," she said with authority and   
didn't move.   
  
"I didn't think you'd let me," he said with a smile. "How about you meet me in the   
bookstore in half an hour? I need a break from all this frou-frou stuff for a bit."  
  
Grace softened, grateful that he understood, and pleasantly surprised that he hadn't let go   
of her hand. "You have been pretty good – I'm impressed that you've lasted this long. I'll   
meet you in Borders then. In half an hour." Reluctantly she pulled her hand from his   
grasp and headed down the hallway.   
  
He watched her until he saw her enter the lingerie store then headed back the way they   
came. There was a store he wanted to stop at while he had the chance.  
  
*********  
  
After spending 15 minutes searching through the bookstore's crowded aisles she finally   
found him kicked back in an overstuffed armchair in the art and photography section. He   
was deeply engrossed in a book on architecture, which surprised her, and she hung back a   
moment to observe him undetected.   
  
As she had searched through the store trying to guess what would interest him she   
realized that she really didn't know Ryder very well. At the same time she thought she   
might know him better than anyone else at Rawley did, which made him an even bigger   
puzzle. Everybody else only knew the asshole he could be but in the last few months she   
had seen a different side to him – and she thought she was falling hard for that side of   
him real fast. Hell, she'd already fallen. Past tense. Done deal. There was really no   
turning back – her heart was already there, even if logic was telling her she might not be   
able to trust him.   
  
He glanced up to catch her staring at him and grinned at her, causing her heart to flutter.   
That's what it was – that smile and those devastating eyes. When he looked at her like   
that it was impossible to believe he could hurt her. Logic be damned – she liked him.   
  
She slowly made her way over to where he was sitting, enjoying the way his eyes never   
left hers, and sat on the arm of the oversized chair so that she could peek over his   
shoulder. "What're you reading?"   
  
"Nothing important," he said, shutting the book and laying it on the table in front of him.   
He didn't care that she'd seen him reading the architecture book. True, not many people   
knew about his interest in the subject, but if he had really wanted to keep it a secret, he   
wouldn't have been reading a book about it in public. Especially not when he knew Grace   
would be looking for him. "Are you done shopping?"   
  
"Yup – I've got everything I need."   
  
"Amazing. So, what do you want to do now? The day is yours, so whatever you want is   
fine with me."   
  
"Really?" she leaned back and made like she was racking her brain trying to come up   
with something, making him laugh.   
  
"How about I take you to the movies? I'll buy." She was a little nervous about asking, but   
she figured he'd agree. After all, spending the day together had been his idea.   
  
"You don't have to do that…" he started to say, but she cut him off.   
  
"If I buy I get to pick the movie, so shhh," she placed a finger on his lips to still any   
protests. She smiled at him. "I did lots of babysitting when I wasn't playing poker with   
you guys, so I saved up enough to manage to swing a matinee."   
  
She slid off the arm of the chair and offered her hand to pull him up, her eyes sparkling   
mischievously. He looked at her warily for a moment before taking her hand.   
  
"Why do I get the feeling I'm going to be watching mushy romance for the next couple   
of hours?" he asked wryly.   
  
Grace merely smiled. "You never know…you might even like it."   
  
*******   
  
Grace was right, he actually did like the movie she picked – a romantic comedy starring   
Russell Crowe and Kate Winslet – and not just because Kate Winslet got naked. Again. It   
had been fun watching Grace's reactions to the movie – she didn't get embarrassed by the   
risqué humor or get weepy during the emotional parts. The best part, though, was holding   
her hand. It had been a long time since he'd done that and he was surprised how natural it   
felt. He felt her staring at him for a while right after he took her hand in his but he fought   
hard to keep looking forward as though nothing had happened and she eventually gave   
up. If he just pretended nothing was going on maybe she wouldn't make him analyze it to   
death. He didn't think he could handle a serious study of what he was feeling towards   
Grace just then.   
  
After the movie they wandered through the mall for a while then stopped for food at one   
of the non-descript chain restaurants. They talked about movies and music over the   
mediocre food, their conversation leading all over the place. He didn't even notice that   
two hours had gone by until she mentioned that she should probably get home.   
  
By the time they got to New Rawley it was nearly 10 o'clock. It was early still, but there   
really wasn't anything to do in town, and he didn't want her to get sick of his company.   
He pulled into her father's station and turned off the engine. Grateful for a distraction he   
got out of the car to retrieve her bags from the trunk. He fumbled with the keys a bit   
before he got the trunk open and he cursed under his breath. As he handed her the bags   
he noted the look of amusement she wore and realized she heard him.   
  
"What? What's so funny?"   
  
"You – I've never seen you like this." She couldn't help but grin at him. It was so funny   
to see him flustered and trying desperately to hide it. Too bad for him that it wasn't   
working.   
  
"Like what?"   
  
"All nervous and awkward. Like you're afraid that if you kiss me I'll turn you down or   
something."   
  
"I've already kissed you…more than once," he said with a wicked grin. "I believe it was   
very early this morning. So why should I be nervous?" When he saw her cheeks darken at   
the memory he took the opportunity to close the distance between them. He was glad   
he'd managed to distract her – he hated that his uncertainty was so obvious to her.   
  
"Maybe nervous wasn't the right word then," she whispered right before he leaned down   
to kiss her softly. It was just what she'd been hoping for. She needed to know that last   
night hadn't just been a fluke or the beer or a mistake.   
  
"Anxious, maybe, or…" he cut her off again with another harder kiss and he felt her   
respond with equal fervor. His heart was racing and he felt a little dizzy from the contact   
and he backed her up against the wall to prevent them from falling over. The feel of her   
lips, the taste of her skin, even the sweet, clean scent of her hair was making him lose   
control. He felt like he wanted to devour her whole and he pulled back a moment to calm   
himself down. She was breathing just as heavily as he was and knowing that he was   
having the same effect on her warmed him down to his toes. He pulled her closer again,   
his cheek against hers, as he wrapped his arms around her tightly.   
  
She was standing on tiptoes to reach so he loosened his embrace to let her slide down and   
rest her head against his chest. Holding her like that felt so good and so right – he didn't   
want to leave. Nothing had ever felt more comfortable than having Grace in his arms.   
  
Grace could hear his heartbeat through his jacket as it returned to normal pace. The   
intensity of his kiss surprised and thrilled her – but not as much as the tenderness of his   
embrace. His fingertips lightly stroked her cheek and she leaned back to look up at him.   
He didn't speak, merely continued to lightly trace her cheekbones with his fingertips as   
he looked into her eyes.   
  
He tilted her face up towards his and was just about to lean in for another kiss when she   
heard Bella's angry voice: "What the hell are you doing to my sister, Ryder?"   
  
They sprang apart and Grace whirled to face her sister, angry that the mood had been   
broken. She was immediately on the defensive – she knew how Bella and her friends felt   
about Ryder and she knew her sister wouldn't be happy about what she'd seen.   
  
"Nothing that I didn't want him too, Mom," she said sarcastically and glared at her sister.   
  
"What are you doing with him, Grace?"   
  
"Nothing! God, have a cow or something. What's the matter with you?"   
  
"Don't roll your eyes at me, Grace. You know what he's like."   
  
"Yeah, I do. And you obviously don't, or you wouldn't be freaking out right now," she   
said, anger making her voice cold. She turned her back to her sister and ignored her when   
she slammed the door behind her. This was what she'd been afraid of. She didn't want   
Bella to say anything that might insult Ryder – her sister hardly knew him and had no   
idea that he had a softer side.   
  
"Sorry about that," she said rolling her eyes.   
  
"Its okay – I've probably earned some of that from her." Bella's obvious contempt for   
him had never bothered him before, but then, he'd never tried to date her little sister   
either. He had never thought that teasing Bella and her friends would come back to haunt   
him the way he knew it was going to. They'd do their best to convince Grace to stay   
away from him. The worst part was, he was afraid it might work.   
  
Grace sighed. "Maybe, but not lately, and its none of her business who I spend my time   
with. She's not my mother and she doesn't have veto power over my friends."   
  
"Well, I think she might disagree – she's brewing up a good hissy fit in there – you can   
almost see the steam coming from her ears."   
  
Grace looked over her shoulder to see Bella glaring out at them and sighed. She knew she   
was going to have to deal with a lecture from Bella when she got in, and she was not   
looking forward to it. * Might as well make the lecture worthwhile * she thought, and   
threw her arms around his neck to kiss him before she went inside.   
  
  
  
  
  



	4. Right kind of wrong

Title: Experimental Grace  
Authors: Debba and Sue  
Category: Other – Grace/Ryder  
Rating: R  
E-mail: debba78@hotmail.com and ruststar@aol.com  
Disclaimer: We own nothing  
Summary: Grace and Ryder may be falling in love  
Authors note: Thanks to Alicia for all the help getting through the dry spells – you have   
been an angel!  
  
  
Ryder ran a hand through his hair nervously, then checked his appearance in the glass   
window of the gas station. After nearly an hour debating what to wear for a party that was   
"dressy, but not formal, but not *too* dressy" he had finally settled on black cashmere   
sweater over a white t-shirt, and black pants. With his leather jacket over it he thought he   
could pull off dressed up, but not feel over-dressed if he misinterpreted what these kids   
meant by dressing up. He frowned at how long his hair was getting and the silly way it   
curled around his ears. He'd have to get that cut soon.   
  
"Quit stalling," he thought, and knocked on Grace's front door, hoping that her sister Bella   
wouldn't be the one to answer. The door opened and it was all he could do not to groan in   
dismay. He didn't get a chance to say anything before Bella started in on him, her   
disapproval apparent even before she said a word.  
  
"What the hell are you doing here, Ryder?" she asked coldly, not letting him in the   
house.   
  
He knew he shouldn't, but he couldn't help himself – he bit back. "Not to see you, luv,   
you're not my type."  
  
"What are you doing with my sister? I know what you really think of her – I heard you   
call her a townie slut. I know you only plan to use her."  
  
"If you're so sure what my intentions are, why did you ask?" he asked calmly, but inside   
he was cringing. Did Grace know he'd called her that ages ago – long before he ever   
*knew* her?   
  
"My sister is not going anywhere with you – not if I have anything to say about it!"  
  
"She can make her own decisions you know – she's a smart girl," he said, glaring at   
Bella. "It seems she wants my company, so I don't think its up to you." At least, he hoped   
it wouldn't be up to Bella.  
  
Grace's voice interrupted her sister's retort – "Bella, is that Ryder? Would you just let   
him in already?"  
  
Bella glared at him one last time then turned and walked away without opening the door   
for him.   
  
Grace appeared then, and he was stunned by the contrast between the two sisters. Bella   
was a pretty girl and all, despite the foul disposition she always showed around him, but   
she was nothing compared to her younger sister, in his opinion. Maybe it was the warmth   
in her smile when she saw him – such a contrast to the contempt in her sister's   
expression. On top of that, she was beautiful. The dress had looked great in the store, but   
that hadn't prepared him to see the whole package once she put on all the finishing   
touches. The final result was brilliant.  
  
Grace felt her irritation with her sister fade away when she noticed the way Ryder was   
looking at her. She smiled. Never in a million years would she have thought she'd see   
Ryder speechless at the sight of her, and she felt as though she were watching a rare   
event. This was even better than seeing Ryder blush.  
  
"Are you ready?" he finally said, smiling at her.   
  
"Yeah – lets get out of here before Will shows up too. Get them both together and I'll   
never hear the end of it!"  
  
*******   
  
They pulled up outside a large, brightly lit house on the eastside of town within 15   
minutes – New Rawley wasn't very big, and it didn't take long to get from one end of   
town to the other.   
  
Grace laughed at the look of surprise he wore – "What, you didn't think there could be   
rich townies?"  
  
"Is it that obvious?" he asked, concerned that he might have insulted her. After the brief   
confrontation with Bella the word "townie" put him on edge. Turning to look at her he   
saw she was smiling and he relaxed a little.   
  
"You've never been to this side of town?"   
  
He shook his head. "Never been – I was busy seeking out the seamier side of life," he   
said, and winked at her. "So, whose party is this?"  
  
"Chris Barretson's. He's a senior, kind of a jerk, but he throws a good party, so most   
people tolerate him. Are you ready?"   
  
"In a minute..." he said as he reached into his coat pocket for a small black box. "I've got   
something for you." He handed it to her in a casual manner, as though it was no big deal,   
and hoped she hadn't noticed the way his hand shook. Although he tried to appear   
unconcerned, his heart beat wildly as she opened the gift.   
  
She gasped when she saw the earrings she'd admired in the mall jewelry store nestled in   
the velvet – beautiful silver studs with sapphire drops. Expensive, tasteful, and a   
complete shock. A thousand warring emotions flooded through her as she stared at the   
most expensive gift she'd ever received. What was she supposed to think? What was she   
supposed to say? She was thrilled that he'd been so thoughtful – but she could hear   
Bella's voice in the back of her mind warning her to watch out. Bella would say that a   
gift like this was only a ploy to get her in bed. But she knew that Ryder didn't need to   
buy his way in – he never seemed to have any trouble getting girls to do what ever he   
wanted. So why would he do this for her?  
  
She glanced back up at Ryder in the hope he'd give some clue to his intentions. He   
looked away from her when she caught his eye, and her heart melted. He looked scared.   
Scared of her…and embarrassed about it. At that moment all her doubts faded away.   
Bella's voice went unheeded as she took his hand in hers. "They're beautiful, Ryder,   
thank you."   
  
"You're welcome," he said and turned to look at her, relief pouring out of him. "I figured   
that I missed Christmas and your birthday, so…maybe I should make up for it."   
  
"You didn't have to…but I'm glad you did," she said honestly. He looked surprised by   
her candor, and she smiled and leaned in closer to him. "You've done so many things   
lately that seem completely out of character – writing me letters, showing up at my Dad's   
garage, picking out exactly the right gift when you didn't have to – that it's a little scary.   
I'm not completely sure any of its real. But I want to believe it. I want to believe in you."   
With that she pressed her lips to his cheek briefly and backed away, noting the look of   
shock on his face.   
  
She flipped down the visor and used the mirror to help her put the earrings in while she   
composed herself. She hadn't meant to tell him all that – it just seemed to come out. It   
was all true though – she wanted more than anything to believe that what she was seeing   
of Ryder was real. Telling him that was a risk, her rational side knew that, but her rational   
side rarely won out over emotion.   
  
"How do they look?" she asked, flipping up the visor.  
  
It took him a moment to respond, and when he did his voice seemed hoarse and cracked.   
"They're beautiful. Like you." His eyes were dark and dangerously open – as though for   
the first time ever his guard was down and she could see the real person behind the mask   
he always wore.   
  
"Shall we go in?" he asked, before she could respond, and the moment passed. Whatever   
he had been feeling at that moment, he quickly hid it again. She could only nod her head   
vigorously, and he flashed one of his trademark grins before he turned to get out of the   
car. He circled to the other side, and opened her door for her. "Let's go, Gracie," he said,   
smiling at her. He took her hand and they walked inside.  
  
********  
  
The party was not what he expected at all. Although less formal, the party reminded him   
of the Rawley cotillions – teenagers uncomfortable in their dress clothes and too many   
adults around. The Barretson's apparently had decided to "chaperone" their son's party   
by inviting all their friends over, which forced most of the younger crowd into the   
basement. Their son, Chris, hardly smiled at Grace's greeting and Ryder actually felt   
sympathy for him. He was carrying around a tray of hors d'oerves and obviously was not   
happy about it. Ryder remembered having to serve at some of his mother's parties and   
knew the boy had to be feeling ridiculous.   
  
He'd hated his mother's parties – she was always putting on a show, trotting him about   
like he was a prize pony, and then ignoring him once she got the attention she wanted.   
The only good side to the parties was that his stepfather hated them too and could be   
counted on to stay far away when she had them – which was often. Any night Richard   
was gone was a good night.   
  
They followed the disgruntled boy down to the basement, where he mumbled grumpily   
that his parents and their friends would be leaving soon, and then turned to head back   
upstairs and continue his duty. "Poor sod," he said to Grace under his breath.   
  
She whispered back, "Yeah – he's gonna hear about this for the rest of the year if this   
place doesn't liven up. The only reason most of these people are here is because he's got   
a great house for parties." She gestured to the thirty or so other kids hanging around the   
basement.  
  
He observed the others for a moment, taking in the rather somber group. A few were   
playing pool at the regulation size billiard table on the left of the rather massive   
basement, while others were gathered around on the leather couches and chairs   
surrounding a big screen TV or leaning against the walls. The low murmur of   
conversation carried a hint of discontent. Everyone had apparently been hoping for a   
different sort of New Years Eve party – not chaperones and soda like a child's party.   
  
He spotted an empty table in a far corner and steered her towards it. She didn't seem to   
know many of the kids here and he sensed she felt out of place and awkward. He noticed   
a polished mahogany board on the table and smiled. He knew just how to distract her.   
"Up for a game?" he asked, pulling a deck of cards out of his coat pocket (he was rarely   
without them).  
  
"Depends on the game, " she said coyly, but smiled gratefully. She was glad he was   
being a good sport about the rather disappointing gathering. She'd been hanging out with   
Rawley guys long enough to know that most would sneer at a party like this, yet, so far,   
he hadn't.   
  
"Cribbage," he said, placing the board between them. "Do you know how to play?"  
  
"Do *I* know how to play? Prepare to be skunked! My dad taught me to play years ago..."   
  
"Hmmm…normally I would say ladies deal first, but…since you're a master…" he   
trailed off, a sly glint in his eye.   
  
"It's still polite," she reminded him pointedly. When it came to cards she knew how   
competitive he was, and she wanted any advantage she could get.   
  
He demurred with a smile and handed the cards to her. He'd only been teasing her   
anyway – he was thrilled she knew how to play. It had been years since he played   
Cribbage – it was a game he used to play with his father. One more thing he and Grace   
had in common.  
  
********  
  
"And that's 15 for 2, which put me at 121 points – skunked you again!" Grace cried with   
delight.   
  
"You didn't skunk me – I have 96 points. To skunk me I have to have less than 90. Don't   
go getting cocky now." He grinned despite the fact that she'd effectively kicked his ass   
three times in a row. Losing at cards wasn't something he took well, normally, but   
playing with her had been too much fun. She was good – never missed an opportunity to   
score points, and even caught points off of him when he missed something. He chalked   
that one up to the simple distraction of looking at her.  
  
"Another game?" she asked.  
  
"I think not – you've already completely demoralized me. Can't have that get around."   
He winked at her to show he was only kidding. "Besides, I think things are about to liven   
up around here."   
  
********  
  
An hour later, Grace stood next to Ryder, sipping a tequila sour and listening to some   
vapid cheerleader flirt with her date. She glanced around the room, watching the dancing   
couples as they swayed to the music. Ryder had been right – the party had livened up.   
The adults, wanting a slightly more sophisticated atmosphere in which to ring in the New   
Year, had taken off for a shindig at the New Rawley Country Club, leaving the house to   
the to the teenagers, along with a well-stocked liquor cabinet and plenty of beer.   
  
"So, you're from *England*? That's so cool!" squealed Ryder's latest groupie. Grace rolled   
her eyes surreptitiously. Much as she was enjoying Ryder's company, his unexpected   
popularity with the girls at the party was starting to grate on her. She was glad he fit in so   
well, especially since it made it easier for her, but having girls constantly simper at Ryder   
was getting irritating. At least she'd been able to chat with *their* dates while the girls tried   
to steal hers.  
  
"Must be payback for all the times I tried it," she muttered to herself as she finished off   
her drink. The girl giggled again, and that was enough for Grace.   
  
"Ryder?" she asked sweetly, sliding an arm around his waist.  
  
"Yeah, Gracie?"  
  
"You wanna dance?"  
  
He looked down at her and grinned. He'd been waiting for a chance to get her out on the   
floor, but he wasn't sure whether or not she wanted to. Once everybody had loosened up,   
she'd started chatting with people she knew from school and he'd thought she'd been   
having fun. He, frankly, had been trying to figure out a way to extricate himself from the   
ditzy girls who seemed to think he was fair game.   
  
He leaned in and kissed her gently. "I thought you'd never ask," he said as he took her   
hand and led her to the floor.  
  
Just like the last time, dancing with Ryder felt completely natural, as though she'd been   
doing it all her life. There wasn't the same intensity, maybe because there weren't as   
many hidden emotions coming into play, but they still moved together in perfect synch.   
Grace grinned as he twirled her around while the song came to an end. It had been about   
30 minutes, and she needed a break, if only for a little while.  
  
"Time for a break?" she asked him, grinning happily.  
  
"Yeah, sounds good," he replied. "You want anything to drink?"   
  
She was warm from being out on the crowded dance floor, from the exertion, and just   
from being his arms. She nodded. "Yeah, a beer would be great. Thanks," she added, as   
he led her off the floor before heading off in search of their drinks.  
  
She watched him go, admiring his backside as he disappeared in the crowd. She sighed   
happily and turned to watch the dance floor again, taking note of who was dancing with   
whom, and therefore, calculating how many breakups there would be before the week   
was over.  
  
"Grace." An angry voice snapped her out of her reverie and she whirled around to see   
who had spoken to her.  
  
"What the hell do you think you're doing, Grace?"  
  
She sighed. "Having a perfectly wonderful New Year's Eve, Bella, what about you?" she   
asked. She didn't want to fight with her sister, not here and not now.   
  
Bella, however, didn't seem to agree with her.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Ryder, meanwhile, was having problems of his own. He had managed to fight his way   
over to the bar, despite the attempts of that dippy girl to get him on the dance floor. He   
grabbed two beers quickly, wanting to get out of the crowd surrounding the alcohol. He   
had just reached the edge of the dance floor when someone grabbed his arm and dragged   
him over to the edge of the room.  
  
"What do you think you're doing, Ryder?"  
  
Ryder sighed to himself, fighting the urge to say something snarky that would only drag   
him into a fight, before looking directly at Will Krudski and replying, "What does it look   
like? I'm not throwing a parade." 'Well, hell,' he thought to himself, 'here we go.'  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Well, Bella, since you ask, I was having a perfectly wonderful time with my date over   
there." Grace gestured towards the bar, where she could see Ryder holding two bottles of   
beer and pushing his way through the people.  
  
"He's an ass, Grace, and I don't like it that you're seeing him," her sister replied, glaring   
at her.   
  
"Sorry, mommy," she drawled, her tone venomous, "but I'm a big girl, and I can do what   
I want - and see *who* I want."  
  
"Those Rawley boys are only after one thing, Grace, and you know it!"  
  
Grace merely cocked her eyebrow at Bella. "You're here with a Rawley boy," she   
pointed out to Bella, smirking when her sister gave her a look of utter loathing.   
  
"It's different with Will," Bella snapped. "Did you know that your precious Ryder called   
you a townie slut? Think about that, Grace, before you do something stupid." With that,   
Bella turned and headed into the crowd.  
  
Grace paled as her past as the wild child came back to haunt her.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Will glared at Ryder. "I know you're not throwing a parade, you jerk-off. What I want to   
know is what the hell you're doing here with Grace?"  
  
"Dancing? Drinking? Ringing in the New Year, New Rawley style?" Ryder tried to keep   
his temper under control. Fighting with Will, one of Grace's oldest acquaintances,   
wouldn't win him any points with her.  
  
Will refused to back down. "You just want to get her into bed, don't you?"  
  
Ryder blinked, not quite certain how to answer that. Of *course* he wanted Grace in bed,   
but he couldn't exactly tell Will that. Besides, he wasn't with Grace just because he   
thought she was easy. He was with her because he liked her, because they had fun   
together, because she was the only person in New Rawley who had noticed that he was   
human, too. But, he couldn't tell Will *that* either, or he'd never hear the end of it.  
  
Unfortunately, Will mistook his silence for agreement.   
  
"I knew it!" Will snapped. "You know, Ryder, no matter what I might think of Grace and   
her lifestyle, she's still like a little sister to me. And I'll be damned if I let her screw up   
her life with you. Just because half the guys at Edmund High have slept with her, it   
doesn't mean that she can't get hurt by one of you rich snobs. I won't let her get her heart   
broken by one of you jerks. Especially not *you*," Will spat.  
  
Ryder saw red. He couldn't believe that one of Grace's oldest friends, someone who   
considered her a little sister, would accuse her of being a slut, just like that. He clenched   
his jaw, fighting the urge to deck Will as hard as he could.   
  
"I'm not here because I want Grace in my bed, you idiot," he hissed, his eyes narrowed.   
"What kind of friend are you, anyway? You say she's a little sister, then turn around and   
call her a slut? Do you even *know* Grace? Don't answer that," he snapped, when Will   
started to say something, "I'm not finished. It's obvious you don't know her *at all* or   
you'd know better than to think she's slept with half the school. You and her sister over   
there need to stop trying to run her life, Krudski. You don't know what's right for   
Grace."  
  
"Oh, and you do?" Will interrupted, seething.   
  
"I know enough to look beyond the surface," Ryder shot back. "When was the last time   
you tried that?" He smiled triumphantly when Will said nothing. "That's what I thought."  
  
"You're just using her, Ryder. I don't want her getting hurt by you," Will retorted.  
  
Ryder ran a hand through his hair, frustrated. "I won't hurt her, you bloody idiot, I love   
her!" He froze. He hadn't meant to say that, it had just come out. Deciding that there was   
dignity in retreat, he spun on his heel and stalked off in Grace's direction, taking several   
large, fortifying gulps of beer on the way.  
  
*He loved her*. He couldn't believe he had just blurted that out – and to Will Krudski of all   
people! He stopped short for a moment, a small smile creeping across his face. *He loved   
her*. He didn't know how it had happened, but he couldn't deny it anymore. Now he just   
had to figure out how to tell Grace…  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Grace stared into the crowd as Bella disappeared, her brain whirling. 'Ryder called me a   
townie slut? *When*?' God, did he still think that of her? Was that why he was here with   
her tonight? She'd thought they had just been having fun, but did he really have an   
ulterior motive? She'd already fallen for him – was she just headed for a broken heart?  
  
She snapped out of her thoughts when Ryder walked up behind her and handed her a   
bottle of beer. She took a long drink, watching him warily out of the corner of her eye.   
He looked…a little stunned. She wondered about that while she watched him when he   
suddenly turned and looked her in the eye.  
  
"Can we get out of here?" he asked. "Will and I just…" he trailed off, not wanting her to   
know what had really happened. Hell, he still hadn't processed it, exactly. He just knew   
that he wanted to be alone with Grace when the clock struck midnight.  
  
Grace swallowed nervously. God, what did he mean? Did he think…? 'Act cool, Grace,'   
she told herself. 'Wait a minute, did he say Will?'   
  
"Ryder, what happened with Will?" she asked sharply. "Was he giving you a hard time?"   
Her thoughts suddenly came into focus as she realized that Bella and Will just didn't like   
the idea of her and Ryder together. "I swear to God, I'm gonna murder those two…yeah,   
let's go." She didn't want to risk a confrontation between all four of them – it would just   
get ugly.  



End file.
